From TV to YouTube, the Oscars’ global shift reveals how entertainment, access and platforms are reshaping cultural institutions.
Updated
January 8, 2026 6:29 PM
Youtube app on a mobile device. PHOTO: UNSPLASH
The Oscars are moving to YouTube. Beginning in 2029, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has signed a multi-year agreement that makes YouTube the exclusive global home of the Oscars through 2033. From the ceremony itself to red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes access and the Governors Ball, the entire experience will live on a platform most people already open every day.
On the surface, it looks like a distribution shift. In reality, it signals a broader strategic reset. For decades, television delivered scale for cultural institutions. Today, reach and discovery live on platforms, not channels. By choosing YouTube, the Academy is quietly acknowledging that cultural relevance today is built where audiences already are. In that context, YouTube is no longer just a place to watch clips but an emerging piece of cultural infrastructure.
What also stands out is how the Oscars are being reframed. This partnership is not limited to one night a year. Alongside the ceremony, YouTube will host year-round Academy programming through the Oscars YouTube channel. That includes nominations announcements, the Governors Awards, the Student Academy Awards, the Scientific and Technical Awards, filmmaker interviews, podcasts and education programs. Instead of a single broadcast moment, the Oscars are turning into an always-on ecosystem.
Accessibility is another central pillar of the deal. The Oscars will be free to watch globally, supported by closed captioning and audio tracks in multiple languages. This is less about nice-to-have features and more about staying relevant in a global, digital-first world. Younger audiences and viewers outside traditional Western markets expect access by default. The Academy is clearly building with that expectation in mind.
There is also a deeper exchange happening between heritage and technology. YouTube gains cultural weight by hosting one of the world’s most established creative institutions. The Academy, in turn, gains technological legitimacy and a clearer path into the future.
That balance extends to how the transition is being handled. The Academy’s domestic broadcast partnership with Disney ABC will continue through the 100th Oscars in 2028 and the international arrangement with Disney’s Buena Vista International remains in place until then. This is not an abrupt break from legacy media but a carefully phased shift. Change is being managed without burning bridges.
“We are thrilled to enter into a multifaceted global partnership with YouTube to be the future home of the Oscars and our year-round Academy programming,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor. “The Academy is an international organization and this partnership will allow us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible — which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community. This collaboration will leverage YouTube’s vast reach and infuse the Oscars and other Academy programming with innovative opportunities for engagement while honoring our legacy. We will be able to celebrate cinema, inspire new generations of filmmakers and provide access to our film history on an unprecedented global scale.”
From YouTube’s side, the partnership places the platform firmly in the center of global cultural moments. “The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry,” said Neal Mohan, CEO, YouTube. “Partnering with the Academy to bring this celebration of art and entertainment to viewers all over the world will inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars’ storied legacy.”
Google Arts & Culture extends the partnership beyond the ceremony. Select Academy Museum exhibitions and materials from the Academy’s 52-million-item collection will be made digitally accessible worldwide, bringing film history and education onto the same platform.
Taken together, the deal is less about where the Oscars will stream and more about how cultural institutions are adapting to the changing landscape. The Academy is positioning itself to be present year-round, globally accessible and aligned with the platforms that shape everyday viewing.
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The focus is no longer just AI-generated worlds, but how those worlds become structured digital products
Updated
February 20, 2026 6:50 PM
The inside of a pair of HTC VR goggles. PHOTO: UNSPLASH
As AI tools improve, creating 3D content is becoming faster and easier. However, building that content into interactive experiences still requires time, structure and technical work. That difference between generation and execution is where HTC VIVERSE and World Labs are focusing their new collaboration.
HTC VIVERSE is a 3D content platform developed by HTC. It provides creators with tools to build, refine and publish interactive virtual environments. Meanwhile, World Labs is an AI startup founded by researcher Fei-Fei Li and a team of machine learning specialists. The company recently introduced Marble, a tool that generates full 3D environments from simple text, image or video prompts.
While Marble can quickly create a digital world, that world on its own is not yet a finished experience. It still needs structure, navigation and interaction. This is where VIVERSE fits in. By combining Marble’s world generation with VIVERSE’s building tools, creators can move from an AI-generated scene to a usable, interactive product.
In practice, the workflow works in two steps. First, Marble produces the base 3D environment. Then, creators bring that environment into VIVERSE, where they add game mechanics, scenes and interactive elements. In this model, AI handles the early visual creation, while the human creator defines how users explore and interact with the world.
To demonstrate this process, the companies developed three example projects. Whiskerhill turns a Marble-generated world into a simple quest-based experience. Whiskerport connects multiple AI-generated scenes into a multi-level environment that users navigate through portals. Clockwork Conspiracy, built by VIVERSE, uses Marble’s generation system to create a more structured, multi-scene game. These projects are not just demos. They serve as proof that AI-generated worlds can evolve beyond static visuals and become interactive environments.
This matters because generative AI is often judged by how quickly it produces content. However, speed alone does not create usable products. Digital experiences still require sequencing, design decisions and user interaction. As a result, the real challenge is not generation, but integration — connecting AI output to tools that make it functional.
Seen in this context, the collaboration is less about a single product and more about workflow. VIVERSE provides a system that allows AI-generated environments to be edited and structured. World Labs provides the engine that creates those environments in the first place. Together, they are testing whether AI can fit directly into a full production pipeline rather than remain a standalone tool.
Ultimately, the collaboration reflects a broader change in creative technology. AI is no longer only producing isolated assets. It is beginning to plug into the larger process of building complete experiences. The key question is no longer how quickly a world can be generated, but how easily that world can be turned into something people can actually use and explore.